Are you trying to strengthen your knees and their surrounding muscles? You may have been participating in many different knee exercises. But are you doing enough stretches to ensure that your knees not only strong but also flexible? If you aren’t, you might be putting yourself on the path to tight knee joints, putting you at high risk of getting injured.
For this reason, knee exercises should always be paired with stretching. Here are some examples of activities that help you do both at the same time.
Swimming
If you are not the type to head to the gym to get some exercise done, then we have the perfect answer: swimming. Not only will swimming help train your knees, but it is also an excellent solution if you are dealing with a bad knee. Plus, it trains your cardiovascular system and almost all your body's muscles.
You can do all sorts of exercises in the water from backstrokes to front crawls, all of which will get your knees and their surrounding muscles working. Not only are they all effective, but they are also fun, especially when performed with friends or family.
Knee Flexion
If you do not want to leave the comforts of your home, knee flexion is a good exercise that you can do as long as you have a small step in or around the house. This exercise will lead to stronger hamstrings while also keeping your quads stretched, ensuring a balance between strength and flexibility.
To do this exercise, stand straight on a step and bend one knee until it forms a 90-degree angle. From there, bend lower while keeping your feet flexed and on the floor. Repeat this ten times before switching to the other leg.
Wall Squats
Wall squats are like regular squats; the only difference being that your head, back, and hips are leaned against the wall. This kind of exercise aims to strengthen your quadriceps. At the same time, your legs’ stamina will also improve, meaning that you will be able to use them for more extended periods without being too tired.
To do this, lean on the wall with your head, back, and hips. Your legs will be angled away at around a 20- to 30-degree angle from your torso. Then, bend down until you come to a sitting position, where your knees are at a 90-degree angle. Make sure that the knees do not go further than where your feet are placed. Hold it this position for at least five seconds and then slowly go back up.
Calf Raises
This exercise focuses on strengthening your calf muscles. Because these are connected to the hamstrings as well as the back of your knees, stronger calf muscles mean that your knee is better supported.
To do this exercise, you can either stand on flat ground or the edge of a step. What you will do is to repetitively raise your heels, resulting in you standing on your toes. If you find this hard to do, you can place your hands on another object for support. If you find it too easy, you can carry weights in your hand to add more resistance.
Conclusion
By participating in exercises such as these, your knees and muscles become more flexible and stronger. This helps to effectively reduce the risk of injury to your knee. If an injury does occur, these exercises will keep the severity to a minimum.
With that said, if you have injured yourself, recovery will be speedy and effective with the help of physiotherapists. You can also consult with them regarding what exercises you can perform to strengthen your knee to avoid future injuries.
Are you looking for Brisbane physiotherapists to treat a knee-related injury? We are here for you. With our team of experts, we will help you recover quickly and effectively. Reach out to us and learn more about how we can help you.
